1972 Alfa Romeo GTV 2000

First registered in October 1972, this peppy 2-litre Alfa GTV has covered 101,500 miles in its nearly 48 year life.

Little is known of the car’s history prior to 1992, but the old-style V5 suggests at least 5 keepers before the current owner took possession. He bought the Alfa back in May 1996 with 75,938 miles on the clock as he said it was “the one car that made my heart beat faster”. Unbelievably, he sold a Fiat Dino Spider he had at the time to buy the GTV! Despite the vast difference in their respective values now, he has never regretted the move and has loved the Alfa ever since. In return it has given him and his wife a great deal of driving joy. He has enjoyed an average of just over 1,000 miles a year, including four road trips to Nantes in France, the last of which was two years ago.

In the last few years, now that he’s retired, he’s been driving fewer and fewer miles in the car, and it’s hurting him to see it sitting unused but still needing to be maintained. So he’s now selling No Reserve to let someone else cherish and enjoy this Italian fire-cracker of a coupe for the next couple of decades.

Finished in the classic Rosso Alfa, this car was probably professionally repainted back in the ‘80s but unlike many of its ilk, hasn’t been subjected to multiple resprays and amateur restorations. Despite a few decades without any wholesale body work being done, this GTV still looks very strong when stood back a socially-distant couple of metres.

Looking closer you will notice a few areas of bubbling starting to appear around the car - notably on the nearside front wing both in front and behind the wheel arch and at the bottom of the A-pillar and on the offside front wing around the side indicator. There’s also a deep scratch on the rear driver side wing caused by something falling against it in the garage - one of those [expletive deleted] moments no doubt!

Closer still, and getting down lower, you will see that corrosion is taking hold of the bottom-most edges here and there around the car - the front valance, wheel arch rims, lower wings, sills and rear valance are all showing that rust has established itself in the steel. We don’t believe anything here is critical but catching it soon will prevent a much bigger job in future.

For a near fifty year old Italian car though, the panel gaps and shutlines around the car are pretty good, with only the boot lid seeming to sit a little high at the rear – possibly a recent boot seal. The chromework bumpers and trim also look pretty sound with just a little pitting to the door mirror caps.

The original 14-inch steel wheels and chromed hubcaps are in reasonable condition and all are fitted with Kleber Dynaxer HP3 tyres (Kleber is a Michelin-owned brand). They were fitted in France during the most recent road trip (August 2018) which included 30+ laps of the Circuit Loire Atlantique. The owner says that such track time was always a rather gentlemanly affair among friends but the GTV always acquitted itself well and such is the innate balance of the car that it rarely came unstuck at the rear.

According to the invoices in the history file, these matching Kleber tyres replaced matching Yokohama tyres. Regular readers of our listings will know we have a thing for good quality matching rubber on a car. Whilst it’s not infallible, it is a good indicator that a car has had a mechanically sympathetic owner who doesn’t take short cuts where it matters most.

The interior is classic ‘70s styling, with straight-grained wood veneer trims to the dashboard and centre console surrounded by jet black vinyl. The steering wheel looks to be of the original type and presents in a good condition.

The ribbed black vinyl seats front and back also appear in good order and add to the sporty look and feel of the car. The carpets are new, as are the inertia reel seatbelts. Under the carpets, the floor pans seem intact and the headlining too is in good condition. The floor hinged brake and clutch pedals sit nicely alongside a sculpted throttle pedal which looks perfect for a bit of heel and toe action.

The vendor reports that everything works - wipers, heater, all lights, fan and hand throttle (factory fitted by Alfa so you could warm the engine up before moving off). The car has a later stereo installed with a removable head unit. This is connected up to speakers fitted into the rear parcel shelf. Modern entertainment and seatbelts aside, the interior of this GTV is very true to the period.

Under the front-hinged bonnet, the four-cylinder twin-cam with its two Weber carbs and long cylindrical air cleaner sits nicely in a simple and relatively spacious engine bay. Aside from a little oxidation to the surface of some of the bracketry and ancillaries, all appears clean and in good order. There is no evidence of any rust on the bulkhead or around the sides of the engine bay. The bonnet itself also appears in good order.

Looking beyond the previously mentioned bodywork corrosion, the underside of the car appears very solid, with a good coating of waxoyl across the floor pans. There’s a little rust on some of the structures but seemingly nothing to cause alarm. The visible mechanicals appear well looked after and what appears to be a stainless steel exhaust system looks in good condition.

Inside the boot, the linings are present and intact, if a little lived-in. Lifting the carpet reveals the full size spare wheel with good condition rubber, wheel-change tools and the fuel tank. The boot lid itself has been repainted at some point and is free of corrosion.

Whilst we always encourage an inspection in person if possible, we understand that some potential bidders may be limiting travel and social exposure. Be sure to scrutinise the detailed photos in the gallery first but, as we are looking after the car during the auction, why not use the ‘Contact Seller’ option to arrange a viewing or set up a video call with us to discuss the car and we can zoom in on any areas you’d like a closer look at.

The car comes with a fat file of 70+ documents (a sample of which are in the gallery), some from the previous owner 1992-96 but mostly from current ownership. There are invoices detailing parts, improvements and other work on the car and for MOTs. The owner has also created and maintained a chronological summary spreadsheet showing all known documentation, occurrences and mileages.

There is a sticker in the rear window from 'R.W.Banks - Alfa Romeo Specialist' with a Newmarket address. This refers to Richard Banks, who was the UK’s number one restorer of 105 Series Alfas and who founded Alfaholics in the 90s. It is unknown the extent of work he did to the car (most likely during the ‘80s) as unfortunately Alfaholics have no records going back that far. Still, knowing that the car at one time passed through Richard Banks’s hands is a definite plus.

This GTV has remained pretty much the same since 1996 in current ownership, it hasn't been restored or modified significantly, but it has been regularly serviced, repaired and maintained as necessary with little regard to cost - mostly by Benalfa Cars in Westbury. The only upgrades have been:

- The addition of a Harvey Bailey handling kit in 2009.

- A complete new black carpet set & inertia reel seatbelts, fitted in 2018.

The car’s online MOT history records only a few failures since 2006 (when online MOT records began) and those that are there were mostly down to ‘playful’ ball joints or easily rectified issues with lamps. Only one was related to an area of corrosion in the vicinity of a suspension mounting.

Its last MOT expired in December 2018 and although exempt by virtue of its age, we would strongly encourage the new owner to have it tested at the earliest opportunity. The cost of an MOT is a small investment when offset against the purchase and upkeep of any classic car, and it gives an independent, third-party assessment of the car’s condition, which not only provides reassurance to the owner and any subsequent purchasers but is also invaluable in the event of a bump when negotiating with the police and any interested insurance companies.

Included in the sale are the original owner’s instruction manual, spare badges, trim plate and a steering lock.

We’re looking after this 2000 GTV during its No Reserve auction, the owner having driven it the 70+ miles from Frome to our HQ near Abingdon. He says, “It is a reliable and beautiful every day driver, it has never let me down, it is always an absolute pleasure to drive.” We can also vouch that it’s a good runner, is lovely to drive and has a real integrity to it with no undue rattles or squeaks, and it still gives you that Alfa zing with plenty of ‘veloce’, even after nearly fifty years!

As we said earlier, Alfa 105s are starting to fetch good money and going beyond everyday enthusiast’s budgets. Whilst nothing is urgent, there’s clearly some bodywork needing to be done soon to match the car’s close-up looks with its performance. We think that for between £16,000 and £22,000, a lucky bidder will get an absolute cracker of a 2000 GTV.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; to arrange an appointment please use the ‘Contact Seller’ button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.